p – n junction.pptVIP

Avalanche Breakdown Avalanche breakdown mechanism occurs when electrons and holes moving through the DR and acquire sufficient energy from the electric field to break a bond i.e. create electron-hole pairs by colliding with atomic electrons within the depletion region. The newly created electrons and holes move in opposite directions due to the electric field and thereby add to the existing reverse bias current. This is the most important breakdown mechanism in p-n junction. Depletion Capacitance When a reverse bias is applied to p-n junction diode, the depletion region width, W, increases. This cause an increase in the number of the uncovered space charge in depletion region. Whereas when a forward bias is applied depletion region width of the p-n junction diode decreases so the amount of the uncovered space charge decreases as well. So the p-n junction diode behaves as a device in which the amount of charge in depletion region depends on the voltage across the device. So it looks like a capacitor with a capacitance. Depletion Capacitance Capacitance of a diode varies with W (Depletion Region width) W (DR width varies width applied voltage V ) Charge stored in coloumbs Voltage across the capacitor in volts Capacitance in farads Depletion Capacitance Depletion Capacitance Depletion Capacitance Appliying bias to p-n junction p n + - forward bias p n - + reverse bias How current flows through the p-n junction when a bias (voltage) is applied. The current flows all the time whenever a voltage source is connected to the diode. But the current flows rapidly in forward bias, however a very small constant current flows in reverse bias case. There is no turn-on voltage because current flows in any case. However , the turn-on voltage can be defined as the forward bias required to produce a given amount of forward current. If 1 m A is required for the circuit to work, 0.7 volt can be called as turn-on voltage. Appliying bias to p-n junction Vb I0 V